The Board of Education policy committee reviewed a revised field-trip regulation that sets approval workflows, minimum lead times, chaperone requirements and vendor procurement thresholds for single-day, multi-day domestic and international trips.

Under the proposed regulation, building principals may approve single-day, in-state trips after verifying required documentation. Multi-day domestic trips and all out-of-state trips require executive director-level review in the educational leadership office and, when applicable, finance and superintendent review. Trips with an estimated district cost or contracted vendor amount above $20,000 will follow district procurement rules and require finance department coordination.

The regulation clarified that official chaperones used for required ratio calculations must be current district employees; volunteers and parents are not counted as chaperones for ratio calculations on multi-day trips. The policy requires a designated chaperone to remain with a student if a medical or legal issue prevents the student from returning with the group. Transportation arrangements must be made through the transportation department or district-approved vendors; the transportation director will vet coach companies.

Minimum submission timelines are set at 15 school days for single-day trips, at least 60 calendar days for multi-day domestic trips and at least 120 calendar days for international trips. Committee members stressed that any fundraising related to a trip must begin only after the district approves the trip; staff said forms and workflows will be expedited when schools show a need to raise funds.

Ralph Valenzizi, who presented the regulation, said the district tested the online trip form and has processed a few manually this summer while workflows are finalized. He told the committee that when multi-day trips reach higher cost thresholds, finance will perform conditional reviews to ensure use of approved vendors.

The regulation also gives the superintendent authority to communicate directly with vendors and retains the district’s right to cancel or postpone trips for safety, weather, health or participation issues. The regulation requires trip leaders to coordinate cancellations and family communications.

Committee members said the updates aim to ensure student safety, improve planning and standardize vendor selection. No formal board adoption vote of the field-trip regulation was recorded at the committee meeting; staff said several trips already submitted manually will appear on upcoming board agendas after the workflow is finalized.